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February 11, 2018

Bengal Govt’s latest tourist district to span a period of 1,500 years

The State Government is planning to set up Bengal’s newest tourist district by combining two sets of historical sites. It would be unique because of the fact that it would encompass two diverse time periods, separated by 1,500 years.

The 15 square kilometre area in Kodalia in South 24 Parganas district, on the southern fringes of Kolkata, would combine Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ancestral house, named Haranath Lodge, and hamlets with Buddhist ruins, the former dating from the 18th century while the latter from the 5th century AD.

Haranath Lodge was built by Netaji’s grandfather, Haranath Bose in 1750 on 10 cottahs. Netaji spent a large part of his childhood here. A Durga Puja is being held here for the last 250 years. Three kilometres away from the house is a group of temples belonging to the family. The house is known in local circles as ‘Subhaser Bari’.

The site linked to Buddhism is made up of the twin hamlets of Tilpi and Dhosa, located near Gocharan. They contain Buddhist ruins dating back to the 5th-century AD. Earliest remains at the above-mentioned site date back to the 1st-century BC, and the highly evolved culture survived till the 15th century.

These places contain two of the 22 Buddhist stupas believed to have been visited by the famous Chinese explorer Fa Hien. The site also contains an ancient furnace, in which smiths used to melt silver, copper and iron, to cast them into coins. Several artefects, including busts of the Buddha, Yakshi figuirines and terracotta plaques, have been recovered from here.

Both Haranath Lodge and the Buddhist site are currently being restored by the State Government, the latter by the State Archaeology and Public Works (PWD) Departments at a cost of Rs 77 lakh. The State Government has decided to confer heritage status to the house and set up a small museum there.

Netaji’s house is extremely popular and is visited by both national and international tourists. By combining it with the Buddhist site, the government would ensure that the latter too gets the fame and attention it deserves.